I'lario tries hard!

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There’s a new Italian kid in town and its name is I’lario. My mom and I keep each other entertained by hanging at coffee shops quite often. Costa has been a favorite since it opened but curiosity got the best of me and I couldn’t resist it when I saw a new coffee shop (or so we thought) in the Noida, Sector 18 market. Upon entering though, we realized that it was more of an Italian food joint and thus decided to return later.

And I am glad we returned. On one of our evenings when we ‘just had to eat something yummy’, Rohan and I decided to give I’lario a chance. The ambience is quite like that of a coffee shop, though I would recommend sitting in the ground floor section rather than the basement. The latter has a tendency to get a little drab.

So here we were, ready to be surprised. One look at the menu and I knew that this was directly influenced by Big Chill Café. Variety ranging from salads and open sandwiches, from pastas to main grills, the menu was selected carefully and appealed to a mean menu critic like me. The Big Chill influence was obvious when you saw dishes like Fusilli with Piri Piri Sauce and Main Grills that came with a choice of 2 accompaniments. Thus, basis our subsequent visits, here is what I recommend:

•If you are a pasta person, and if you have already eaten at Big Chill, then don’t go for the Piri Piri sauce. It doesn’t hold its own in comparison. The white wine pasta on the other hand looked very tempting on the table next to ours.
•Their thin crust pizzas are great. Try the one with four different types of cheese and an equal variety of meats
•Salads are also quite good – fresh and seasoned well
•The grill is made quite well. Grilled well, not too greasy and seasoned as per your preference, it works well. The side dishes are great and you can choose from jacket potatoes, French fries, Mediterranean salad, side green salad and pasta in white sauce.

Overall, worth a visit. Meal for 2 can set you back by around Rs.500. Not as good as Big Chill yet, I’m afraid, but a great menu and lots of potential. But hey…don’t take my word for it, go try it out for yourself!